Hi Vapor,
Unfortunately J&M poly ball bushings are just a B.S. marketing gimmick used to deceive the mechanically unsophisticated (hey, no slight intended Vapor). I just had to blast these pieces of junk when they first came out and I got to do it on their own website!
Hot Parts/J&M used to have a comment section for each of their parts. One day I disassembled the polyball bushings and proved that they were no better and possibly worse than an ordinary unpatent pending two-piece poly bushing with steel sleeve. Several folks commented agreeing with me that mechanically the polyball bushings were simple marketing B.S.. Some folks who bought these LCA's said they did not see any difference between polyball bushings and standard bushings. Others who bought and installed LCA's with polyball bushings claimed that the HP/J&M polyball bushings were "just better" like HP/J&M claimed because they were applying for a patent.
So then I explained that anybody can make a patent claim and apply for a patent for pocket change and in the mean time claim they have a patent pending. This is classic snake oil smoke and mirror B.S. Do you know how long it takes for a patent to be reviewed and processed? Several years at least and all during this period the patent applicants are allowed to continue to claim that their part has some sort of magic properties because it has a patent pending even though the so called improvements are as bogus as Bill Clinton's "I did not have sex with that woman" comment. By the time all the smoke from the B.S. clears there is no more market for the bogus magic item and nobody cares and more that the patent office denied the application. Of course nobody tells you what class of patent they applied for or exactly what is being applied for because it could be that the patent is for the unique use of lubricant on the steel bushing sleeve. It is a major joke (which is not so funny IMO) on the car part buying American public. O.K. enough ranting.
Then it got deep, I posted that there has been a much stronger metal near zero bind and far superior isolated rod end available for many, many years from Currie called "Johnny Joints." I suggested they should just buy these off the shelf and use them in their control arm products. At this point HP/J&M just tried to blow me off in the comment area by saying they were some how "just better" which obviously they are not if you read my comments or have any mechanical insight at all or engineering experience. Then HP/J&M tried to disprove my design and engineering comments which again they could not. Then J&M just ignored my comments by locking the thread preventing any more posts and then they quietly removed the ability for people to comment on their parts on their site all together. LOL!
But the upside is that HP/J&M took my comments to heart and now offer LCA's and UCA's using Currie's Johnny Joints! These are now IMO some of the better designed non-adjustable LCA's and adjustable UCA's. The quality of fabrication I cannot vouch for as they likely still do not use top of the line materials or fabrication methods and you cannot see what the welds look like due to the heavy layer of powder coating used. But at least they are on the right track!
If you feel you have to have J&M LCA's and want them to actually do what they claim you need to buy their so called Street/Race Extreme Joint version LCA's which are not adjustable. But if you get the J&M Street/Race Extreme Joint version of their UCA you get an adjustable piece. I would guess that J&M will not offer adjustable LCA's because they have the adjustable UCA to sell which gives you the minimum level of adjustability required for a lowered chassis. Both of these improved products are now using legitimate or illegitimate versions of the Currie Johnnie Joint which off roaders have been using and abusing for many years.
HTH!
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